Title: 🤔 1.6. Who Governs the Internet?
Course: "Our networks, our security" Digital Security with a Gender Perspective > Section: Our internet, Our Rights: Basic Concepts

As we have seen, the Internet is decentralized. It is made up of thousands of interconnected networks that are managed by different entities.

The Internet is not controlled by any single organization, government, or company. Instead, it is a vast, decentralized network made up of independently operated networks that voluntarily connect to each other. This structure allows issues to be addressed at the level closest to their origin, making the system more efficient and adaptable.

This descentralized management is known as Internet governance.  It involves the processes, policies, rules and organizations that shape how the internet is developed, accessed, and used worlwide.

Internet governance follows a multistakeholder model where five key sectors collaborate:

🌐 The technical community: Organizations and individuals responsible for the internet's technical infrastructure, standards, and protocols. This includes entities such as the👉Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the 👉 World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which help ensure the technical stability and interoperability of the global internet.

💼 The private sector: Businesses and companies that provide internet services, products, and infrastructure. Key players include telecommunications companies, cloud service providers, and technology companies, who play a critical role in the development, maintenance, and commercialization of digital services.

🏛️ Governments: National and regional authorities that create policies and regulations affecting the Internet. Governments ensure cybersecurity, data protection, and regulate issues like net neutrality and digital taxation. International bodies, such as the 👉 United Nations (UN) and the 👉 Internet Governance Forum (IGF), also contribute to discussions on global policy.

🗣️ Civil society: Individuals, advocacy groups, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focusing on digital rights, privacy, inclusion, and equity. These organizations play a key role in advocating for marginalized groups, including women and minority communities, in the digital space. They also raise awareness about issues like online harassment, data privacy, and internet accessibility.

🎓 Academia: Researchers, scholars, and educational institutions that study, teach, and advise on internet governance, digital policy, and technology’s societal impact. Academia contributes by developing frameworks for addressing challenges like AI ethics, cybersecurity, and digital literacy, and by informing policy debates.

 This model has been essential in shaping the Internet both globally and locally. It encourages discussion, dialogue, and consensus-building, which lead to recommendations, principles, action plans, and regulations that help keep the Internet secure, open, and accessible. By ensuring shared decision-making, this approach helps maintain the Internet as a global resource rather than placing control in the hands of a single entity or nation.

In September 2024, the United Nations introduced the Global Digital Compact (GDC), aiming to ensure a safe, inclusive, and open digital future for all. The GDC outlines commitments such as connecting all people to the internet, making digital technologies more accessible, and strengthening legal frameworks to protect users online. It also emphasizes the importance of digital public infrastructure and digital public goods in fostering equitable digital transformation.

As GDC aims to set international principles for a safer, more inclusive, and rights-based digital world, it addresses issues such as:

✅ Internet accessibility and affordability
✅ Digital rights and data protection
✅ Cybersecurity and responsible AI development

The GDC is closely linked to Internet Governance as it seeks to harmonize global efforts in managing digital technologies. It complements existing discussions in forums like the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and strengthens international cooperation on the challenges of a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

📌 Why is the GDC important for Internet governance?

- It fosters a coordinated global response to digital challenges.
- It reinforces human rights-centered digital policies.
- It promotes collaboration among key internet stakeholders to ensure a fair and inclusive digital future.

Here are some resources to better understand Internet Governance:

- Afnic - Internet made in France: 👉What is the Internet and what is Internet governance?(video) -
- The United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF): 👉Internet Governance Forum (web)

Also, for a comprehensive understanding of Internet Governance and its implications, you may refer to the UNESCO publication:

- 👉"What if we all governed the Internet? Advancing multistakeholder participation in Internet governance."